Tesla's Solar Roof System to Begin Taking Orders Next Month

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced via Twitter that his company’s fully-integrated solar roof system is nearly ready to be released to the public, and will begin taking orders on the shingles starting next month.

The solar roof project was announced this past October after acquiring energy services provider SolarCity for $2.1 billion. Offered in four different styles – smooth glass, textured glass, French slate and Tuscan glass – the shingles would allow homeowners to make the switch to solar without having to change their aesthetic tastes. Though exact costs have yet to be released, Musk believes the system could be more affordable than a traditional roof.

“It’s looking quite promising that a solar roof will actually cost less than a normal roof before you even take the value of electricity into account,” said Musk at the unveiling. “So the basic proposition would be, ‘Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less, and by the way generates electricity?’ It’s like, why would you get anything else?”

The solar roof system would link into Tesla’s Powerwall home battery system for onsite energy storage.

Further details of the system have yet to be released, but SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive has said that the company was working towards a 40 cent per watt efficiency. This would make the system competitive with other energy options.

Elon Musk has revealed his company Tesla 's latest world-changing innovation: a solar roof system so fully integrated into a home's architecture as to be indistinguishable from a traditional roof. +4 At the unveiling event on Friday, Musk invited a crowd to the old Hollywood set of "Desperate Housewives," the quintessential model of American suburbia.